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Tens of Thousands Displaced by Intensified Mali Clashes

The U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) says thousands of Malians have become internally displaced or are seeking refuge in neighboring countries as clashes escalate between French troops and Islamist rebels. (..) Last year, the World Food Program managed to reach 1.2 million beneficiaries in the country, more than one-quarter of a million of whom were in the Islamist-rebel-controlled north. WFP says it is monitoring the situation closely, but that growing insecurity is severely limiting access to northern areas. The agency also says it stands ready to respond to increased needs in case of further population movements.